Words matter. Names matter. Your name is part of your identity, it’s your visiting card. Hello, my name is… and what’s yours?  You want to feel that your name fits you like a second skin.  If your name is too much of a mouthful, it will get shortened, so you’d better get in there quick. You want to make sure that the shortening that makes sense to you and, crucially, that you like it. That’s why we changed the name of this project, from the Developing effective service models

Most of the DAPPLE Team. Photo: Kingston University. Irene says: This is a study I have wanted to do for a very long time. My previous studies have focused on the experiences of people with a learning disability at the end of life; their information and support needs; breaking bad news; staff training and support needs (from palliative care nurses to support workers); end of life care planning.  Conclusions from these studies almost always include the need for everyone to wor

I’ve become aware that our team has become known for our hat game. I know… we post a lot of pictures with people in funny hats, so it’s not surprising. But it’s begun to worry me.  You see, we are so much more than just ‘the hat game’!  We use the hats to  kick-start  our focus groups and our online meetings as they create a lovely vibe. People might have been anxious about joining the session but walking into a room where you see fun hats and wigs on the table… well, people